i went to a new doctor
a specialist with the first available appointment in our medical system
with good reviews
i’ve rarely had anything but positive experiences
this one was quite the opposite
while he knew his subject
he had absolutely no understanding of human interaction
let alone skills in working with a patient
he was cocky, a know it all
i had to ask him all the relevant questions and tell him my history
as he never asked or offered suggestions
he was dismissive, scoffed at things i said
seemed doubtful that i would even follow through with recommended therapies
at one point
i came close to asking
“are you A.I.?”
even though he was present in the room with me
finally
i had his order for a physical therapist
the outcome i had hoped for
along with my new massage therapist trainer
no need or plan to see him ever again.
he told me to return after 8 weeks
to see how the treatment was going
as he expected
that i wouldn’t get a p.t. appointment
for at least 2 weeks
what an inspirational guy
why did he ever chose to be a doctor?
as i left
i felt bad for all of the people still in the waiting room
hoping they would see him soon.
—
“the good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
-sir william osler, canadian physician and one of the founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital